Wednesday December 10, 2008 12:37 am

Limited Edition White Beats by Dr. Dre hands-on

If you’ve been paying attention over the past couple of days, then you’ve heard that Monster is about to release a very limited edition version of their Beats by Dr. Dre headphones into the world. The thing is, they are gonna cost $700 - twice the price of the standard Beats headset that we love so much. We got in touch with Monster for the backstory on these special editions, just to clear everything up.

First of all, you’ll only be able to pick these up from the Ron Herman boutique store in Los Angeles. These Beats headphones aren’t just pure white—they are done up in Ron Herman white, blue, and gold. Unfamiliar with Ron Herman stores? Well, let’s just say a t-shirt there will run you over $60. It’s all about high fashion. In fact, Ron had this to say about the custom Beats:

“Our Ron Herman boutiques are the quintessential environment where one can experience the unification of fashion, music and culture. Beats By Dr. Dre are more than just headphones, they are a fashion accessory.”

Can’t argue with the dude either, the Beats are a fashion accessory almost as much as they are a functional pair of noise-cancelling headphones. I’ve seen hip hop artists wearing them just to look cool. That’s not the only reason for the expense though. According to Monster, one of the biggest challenges with getting the Beats out the door was the finish. They sport a custom coating that works as both a glossy coating and a paint. This coating has to bend freely, while never cracking. These custom Ron Herman Beats were worked on by Colorware, who had to come up with a similar solution. Plus, have you ever gotten anything customized by Colorware? It isn’t cheap. So in this sense, Monster is basically passing the cost of the coloring process on to the customer.

One last tidbit - if you are a big baller and want one of these white fashion pieces, hurry up. No more than 20 pairs of white Beats by Dr. Dre Studio headphones are going to be made. Supply and demand baby! Check out our White Beats by Dr. Dre gallery for a close-up look at what you can get at the Ron Herman store.